The “Ascot Derby”, or G2 King Edward VII S., is where the Derby failures meet those who were directly targeted at the Royal meeting with mixed results, but the telling statistic could be that it has been 10 years since an Epsom also-ran succeeded here in Papal Bull (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). Given that Humphrey Bogart (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) ran so well when fifth in the blue riband June 4, it is reasonable to expect that the form of the May 7 Listed Lingfield Derby Trial holds some ballast. The Richard Hannon trainee caught Carntop (GB) (Dansili {GB}) close home in that extended 11-furlong prep and, provided his subsequent exertions have not sent him the wrong way, connections of the winner are expectant. “Humphrey Bogart ran an absolute cracker in the Derby and has come out of the race really well,” Hannon said. “The conditions shouldn't be a problem and I think we are there to run a big race.” Carntop, who holds special significance bearing the colours of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, has been freshened up for this since Lingfield, and only racecourse evidence will show whether he has improved past Humphrey Bogart as a result.
Sir Michael Stoute has saddled six winners of this race during his stellar training career and it is interesting that he commits Saeed Suhail's Across the Stars (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) just 13 days after his Derby flop. Only 10th and never a factor there, the colt Stoute described as still weak and immature had looked unlucky not to do better than third behind Humphrey Bogart and Carntop in the Lingfield Derby Trial, and has obviously thrived since Epsom. Fascinatingly, Aidan O'Brien has only won this once, with Five Dynasties (Danehill) in 2004, but the solid if unspectacular Beacon Rock (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has long been crying out for this trip, and comes here on the back of a win in the G3 Gallinule S. over 10 furlongs at The Curragh May 22.
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